Colin Kelly

Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. was an American B-17 Flying Fortress pilot who flew bombing runs against the Japanese navy in the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is remembered as one of the first American heroes of World War II after ordering his crew to bail out while he remained at the bomber's controls trying to keep the plane in the air before it exploded, killing him. His was the first American B-17 to be shot down in combat.